So the CrossFit Open is upon us...

So what? Right? Kind of, but not really. Let me explain.
In the CrossFit community the end of February is an exciting time. If you're new to CrossFit you may find yourself at the gym hearing all the talk of the open amidst the sound of clanging barbells and AC/DC, thinking to yourself "What the heck have I gotten myself into??" Well here we go.
Let's start with answering the question, "What is the Open?"
If you haven't figured it out by now, the CrossFit community is unlike anything else. We sweat together, bleed together, laugh together, and celebrate together. In 2011 the CrossFit Open was introduced to bring together and include the entire community to challenge ourselves individually towards a common goal. For the competitive athletes, the Open is a chance to make their name known by qualifying for Regionals to then go on to the CrossFit Games. For the rest of us, the Open is a chance to push our limits outside of the normal day to day workout and celebrate the hard work we have put in through the year. It is comprised of 5 workouts, the first of which will be announced this Thursday 2/23, and the rest announced through the 4 weeks following. Once registered, you will be able to put in your results and see how you measure against other athletes in your box/state/region/country and even against all other athletes worldwide.  
For those of you who have aspirations to one day be a competitive athlete, reasons for signing up for the open are pretty self explanatory. For everyone else, you're probably thinking, "I'm not interested in going to Regionals or the Games, so why should I care about where I place?" The answer to that is simple, you shouldn't. You shouldn't care because for those of us who put in sweat equity everyday to become the best version of ourselves, it's not about placement...it's personal. I want you to think back to the first time you walked into your box, whether that was yesterday or 5 years ago. Think about the mental and physical obstacles that you have overcome since then. For some, the biggest of all may have been just walking through the door. Think about the nervous feelings you had trying something new, and pushing yourself to do things that you never thought possible. Think about that first competition, and how you felt like you had no idea what was going on, and all you could think about were the butterflies in your stomach. Now think about how much fun you've had doing those things and the sense of pride you get every time you push yourself a little further. That's what it's about. Participating in the Open is the stamp you put on the decision that you've already made. The decision that you are committed to pushing past limits and that there is nothing you can't do.  
For the majority of us, at the end of the day, where we place has no significant impact on our lives. That's why you shouldn't care where you are on the leaderboard. Whether that's during the Open, or on the whiteboard for the daily WOD. 
No matter why you started CrossFit, we all share the same purpose, to be the best version of ourselves. The Open is just another opportunity for us to push those limits and celebrate with a global community that shares that same purpose. Let's go into this Open season committed to pushing ourselves and those around us to break limits and have fun doing it. 

​Now go get signed up!! 

​-Chris

https://games.crossfit.com/